Tag: new york mets

The black cloud that hovered over Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada in 2013 seems to have followed them to Port St. Lucie in 2014.

Davis and Tejada had miserable seasons for the Mets last year. The Mets were counting on them to anchor first base and shortstop, respectively, but they both took a huge step in the wrong direction, on and off the field.

“Ralph Kiner was one of the most beloved people in Mets history — an original Met and extraordinary gentleman. After a Hall of Fame playing career, Ralph became a treasured broadcasting icon for more than half a century. His knowledge of the game, wit and charm entertained generations of Mets fans.

“Like his stories, he was one of a kind. We send our deepest condolences to Ralph’s five children and 12 grandchildren. Our sport and society today lost one of the all-time greats.”

There are no words I can put together to pay proper tribute to the man. He was the voice of my summers growing up, along with Bob Murphy. When I heard their voices in March, I knew baseball was back.

He taught me the basics of how to play the game, and opened my eyes to the techniques of hitting that I’d never considered before. He also taught me about the history of the game. I learned of the likes of 3 Finger Mordecai Brown, Heinie Manush, and other colorful characters from the past (or at least the ones with colorful names), and got an idea of what baseball was like long before there was such a thing as Shea Stadium or the Mets.

When I worked for WWOR, the Mets production staff always had good things to say about Ralph. They saw him as a genuine, warm, and kind individual. They weren’t just saying that – believe me, they didn’t always have the same things to say about other broadcasters who passed through the booth.

I love stats. I’ve been a baseball stathead since I was a kid. I kept track of my own batting average in Little League as well as walks, extra base hits (those were easy – there weren’t many of them), and RBIs. I used to check the box scores in The Record every morning to see what the Mets’ updated stats looked like after the previous night’s game (Unless the game was on the west coast – ahhh, the dark ages), and I’ve continued that habit into the present day.

Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve been familiarizing myself with sabermetrics. I like them. I find them useful. Especially the ones I can understand. Advanced metrics have given me a whole new perspective on the careers of baseball players today, and a renewed appreciation of players from the past.

The one relatively new development I haven’t gotten on board with is the concept of statistical projections.

So, Sandy Alderson was interested in bolstering his bullpen with a veteran arm – we knew that. We just thought it would be someone like a David Aardsma or Joel Hanrahan, not an established closer like Balfour.

Speaking of closing, would Balfour have closed for the Mets or set up Bobby Parnell? Seems like the team would have wanted him as insurance in case Parnell wasn’t ready for Opening Day. And if Parnell was, Balfour would have handled the eighth inning.

I wonder if Balfour also took that into account when making his decision – I’m sure he wants to remain a closer.

It’s also interesting that the Mets were willing to spend more than $6 million AAV on a two-year deal. That suggests that they still have money to spend, despite the fact that they appear to be at or nearing their rumored payroll limit.

Perhaps they’ll spend that money on another reliever or two, or maybe (dare I say) Stephen Drew. The free agent shortstop seems to be less and less in demand, which should drive down his price. If he and his agent, Scott Boras, get desperate enough, they may even settle for a one-year deal.

The Brewers have flirted with the Mets this offseason regarding a trade for Ike Davis. The Mets wanted RHP Tyler Thornburg, a top pitching prospect whom the Brewers have penciled into their fifth starting slot going into Spring Training. Milwaukee deemed that price too high.

Parnell had lost roughly 30 pounds while dealing with the herniated disk.

This is a key development for the Mets bullpen. The back end of the bullpen would be a huge question mark if Parnell were not ready for Opening Day. They’d have to figure out who would close, and who would handle the eighth inning. If Parnell is ready, the concern then shifts to who sets him up, which is less of a problem – but still an important one.

Right now, Vic Black, who has 18 major league appearances under his belt, looks like the front runner for the eighth inning role. The team is also looking to acquire a veteran to possibly fill that role (someone like LaTroy Hawkins – but he’s in Denver now).

Whew…got this in just under the wire. October 16 is arguably the seminal date in Met history. It also has some personal significance as it is my late father’s birthday. More on him in a moment.

Some of the biggest moments in Met history have occurred on this date. For example:

1969: The Miracle culminates with a 5-3 win over the Orioles. Take your pick from this game: Swoboda’s catch, Jones kneeling in the outfield, the wild celebration on the field, in the clubhouse and in the streets. If you look closely at the footage of Koosman jumping into Grote’s arms at the end of the game, one of the fans with his arms up in the air is holding a copy of that month’s Mad Magazine! I was only nine years old at the time and my baseball awakening was still a year or two away.

1973: The Mets lose 3-2 to Oakland on a dropped third strike in the 10th. This was, I believe, one of the first ever World Series games to occur at night. As I was still in grade school and this was a school night, I was only allowed to watch the first few innings. It was Willie Mays’ last appearance in a World Series game. In my mind, Yogi Berra will forever be the goat for losing this series, bypassing the 12-3 George Stone entirely and pitching Tom Seaver on three days rest in Game 6, then forcing Jon Matlack to pitch on short rest in Game 7.

1986: Technically no game today, but a time to stop shaking after what is possibly The Greatest Game Ever, the 16-inning marathon with the Astros that resulted in the Mets clinching the National League pennant. I still have the back page of the 10/16/86 Daily News with “WE WIN” in large block letters.

1999: John Olerud leads the Mets to a 3-2 win over Atlanta at Shea, helping the Mets avoid a sweep and setting the stage for an incredible game the next day. I was at this game with my brother and nephew, but I don’t remember much about it other than yelling at Larry “Chipper” Jones and John Rocker. My dad had died two months before and I was still grieving his loss, which was made more poignant by the date. That 1999 Mets team was perhaps my favorite Met team of all time. Check the box score for this game, that was an awesome team.

2000: In what is probably the most-overlooked pitching feat in Met history, Mike Hampton twirls a three-hitter as the Mets blank the Cardinals 7-0 to clinch their fourth NL pennant. I was at this game as well. Remember the fight at the end of the game after Jay Payton was hit? Every once in a while a radio station within earshot or a restaurant I am in will cue up the Venga Boys “We Like To Party” and I always think about the celebration that erupted after Todd Ziele’s big hit to put the Mets comfortably ahead in that game.

If you haven’t noticed, there are some wide gaps in the years between the games. Oh well, Happy Birthday Dad and Lets Go Mets!